#Commentary of Vladimir Bidyovka on populist myth ‘European Ukraine’

19.06.2017

Recently, Ukrainian politicians and their friends from the Baltic countries have begun having dreams and plans to create a thriving European Ukraine for the envy of “unwashed Russia.” In particular, the information about the presentation of the “Marshall Plan” at the Eastern Partnership Summit for Ukraine from Lithuania was shared by former Lithuanian Prime Minister and Seim deputy Andrius Kubilius.

According to him, Ukrainian and Lithuanian politicians suggest allocating about 3% of the EU budget for Ukraine, which is about 30 billion euros. In addition, in their opinion, the Ukrainian economy needs $ 4-5 billion of annual inflow to get out of the debt and to grow economically. The Lithuanian ex-prime minister motivated such measures by the need to save Ukraine from the influence of the Russian world, just as the “Marshall Plan” saved Western Europe from the spread of “Soviet betrayal” after the end of World War II.

However, in practice, the statements of Russophobic politicians remain only populism. European politicians and businessmen are increasingly perceiving what is happening in Ukraine in a negative light and believe that the problems of the economy and the formation of the national budget are internal affairs of Ukraine itself. It was in this vein that the head of the German oil and gas company Wintershall, Mario Mehren, responded to questions about the implementation of the Nord Stream-2 project. The manager of the German company also noted the hideous state of the Ukrainian gas transportation system, for the modernization of which European consumers paid tens of billions of dollars. According to Mario Mehren, this money was spent on anything but not for maintenance of the gas pipeline.

If the Kiev government does not care about its gas transportation system, which is a constant gold-bearing lode of the Ukrainian budget, then why should something change with respect to the new fabulously described “Marshall Plan”? The misuse of budgetary funds has become an integral feature of the Kiev authorities. No sane investor will invest anything in a country with such a level of corruption. Moreover, Ukraine is already experiencing serious problems regarding the payment of credit obligations already taken on. Therefore, all the statements of the populist Russophobic club that Ukraine will be made European-like for European money are nothing more than the stupidity of political adventurers.